Matching the potentials of T&M with power demand

India is the third biggest energy consumer in the world. Be that as it may encouraging conveyance of dependable and quality force and giving admittance to power to all stay testing. Despite the fact that endeavours are being made around power quality improvement to diminish misfortunes, it is accepted that modernisation of substations will add to India’s energy needs.

Maintenance of T&M instruments

Precise testing and estimation (T&M) is a basic piece of gadgets framework planning and assembling to guarantee item quality. T&M frameworks assume an essential part in sanctioning the presentation of a wide scope of electronic items. Expanded item unpredictability has prodded a developing interest for exactness testing at each phase of the item life cycle, beginning from item plan and advancement, to creation testing, pre-and post-market testing, just as help. Hence, development of the T&M business goes connected at the hip with the development of the hardware business. High development in the T&M hardware market in India is because of various reasons. These incorporate mechanical turns of events, extending end-client applications and developing need to approve the exhibition of hardware. Different variables driving development in the T&M space are tough quality, security and natural guidelines for assembling, support and utilization of gear. Additionally, legitimate usage of government activities, similar to Make in India, 100 Smart Cities, Digital India and the safeguard producing push, open up new chances for T&M industry players. Parag Yelegaonkar, General Manager – Govt. Business, Testo India Pvt. Ltd. says, “Many times maintenance engineers encounter problems like power losses, system failures, breakout and at worse even accidents, which are uninvited and unforeseen. Implementing T&M tools can assist the user in handling such situations. Considering our latest and most advanced solutions for instance, our electrical instruments are very distinct and unique in their features.

They are excellent instruments to inspect the electrical components and circuit failure threats. Similarly, smart Testo Thermal Imagers with smartphone integration designed to deliver networked thermography are used for predictive and preventive maintenance in electrical unit, transformers, and power sector. All kinds of troubleshooting can be easily carried out with testo instruments in electrical assets &components such as transformers, Circuit breaker, CT / PT / Isolators, capacitor bank, lighting arrestors, transmission line that save cost and ensure safety.” Increasing awareness about predictive maintenance among manufacturers in India is driving the growth of the T&M industry. Imteyaz Siddiqui, Regional Area Manager – South Asia & GCC, ALTANOVA said, “The quality test and measurement equipment plays a very important role in the life cycle of any electrical asset, be it a transformer or a cable or switchgear. These assets, whether manufactured as per the design or specification mentioned by a customer, can be verified only by an excellent quality test and measurement equipment. Similarly, the condition of these assets can be verified from time to time during their field operations.” The power sector worldwide is maturing very fast, and the customers are becoming increasingly quality conscious. Field engineers are now exposed to the best O&M practices used across the globe, and are also aware of the latest products available in the market. Therefore, to ensure the quality and efficiency of their power systems, they look for testing instruments that are accurate and reliable, and yield consistent test results.

 Trends of T&M differ with increase in power demand

The pattern of auto organisations changing to mechanised testing is likewise driving up the interest for T&M gear. In addition, expanding electronic substance in the vehicles for infotainment, network and security purposes, alongside developing acknowledgment of green versatility (through e-vehicles) will likewise fuel the development of the T&M area. Moreover, an expansion in R&D exercises across the gadgets business esteem anchor is relied upon to additional drive interest. India has huge potential in media communications and portable assembling, as well. With Make in India activities are making a flood of confidence and openings, portable assembling is set to acquire further energy. Hence specialists are anticipating the thriving chances in versatile handset producing and associated verticals, similar to portable administrations, digital TV and broadcasting. Interest for power across India has been developing at a fast rate and is required to fill further in the years to come. Thusly, power age, transmission and circulation organisations should put resources into solid, precise and productive hardware to shield their resources from disappointment. Subsequently development possibilities of T&M gear identified with the mechanical gadgets area are very encouraging. India is an arising sun based center point of the world, considering the sort of limits that are coming up, with almost 100GW of sunlight based ability to be included the following five years. Sun based force, once more, might be a vital market for T&M items. Yelegaonkar said, “Latest trends are very evident to demonstrate that there has been an increase in demand of power, which has eventually led to the growing capacity in generation, transmission, and distribution utilities.

In such critical situations, plant shut down or downtime can have fatal results over productivity and cost. Hence the need for increased efficiency and growing energy concerns have become more pivotal than ever. To keep the electrical assets in T&D utilities healthy and to keep regular checks on its performance, additional test and measuring instruments are of utmost importance. They help the user in predictive maintenance, troubleshooting and take time corrective actions to ensure continuous operation.” Whereas Prabhakaran PV, Head – Product Management, Fluke India said, “Newer technologies and solutions call for new technology measurements too. To meet measurement challenges in clean and renewable technologies, electric vehicles and Industry 4.0 requirements, T&M too is innovating on a much faster pace by implementing IIoT and new technology measurement solutions for high-voltage and complex power electronics applications like inverters and EV chargers, etc. Fluke as a market leader has launched its connected devices way back in 2013 to meet the Industry 4.0 requirements and is currently one of the very few players in the spectrum of test tools who meets such requirements.

Many products of Fluke like the portable oscilloscopes, power analysers, etc. come with highest isolation of the channels and ensure that these instruments can be used effectively and without compromising user safety. The engineers and designers are looking for accurate, reliable and safe instruments for their new measurement challenges and we strive to meet such challenges with every new product we launch.” While the demand changes the momentum of work, to accomplish the same, most important thing is to ensure complete health management of the electrical equipment. “Test and measuring instruments are now SMART and are capable of effectively measure, monitor, and record the essential parameters in the power industry,” said Yelegaonkar. Such measurements give not only the maximum availability of the electrical assets but also keep checks on safety of the assets. For inaccessible locations testing & checking can be done by thermal inspection from a safe distance as a predictive maintenance technique, without endangering the user or without shutting down the entire power transmission network. However, the definition of quality can be subjective and is often determined by the customer’s unique perspective. Nevertheless, experts on the panel for this report believe that objective standards of quality lead to quantifiable benchmarks, as every customer segment wants its systems to function properly and reliably on a consistent basis.

 Latest testing and measuring offering in the market

The requirement for an associated and more secure world utilizing headways in the Internet of Things (IoT), machine to-machine (M2M) connection, 5G and millimeter are the new mechanical patterns that will prompt the development of the T&M business worldwide and in India, as well. Expansion of savvy gadgets has started to impact the plan and utilisation of T&M gear. Each brilliant item should experience a particular arrangement of cycles to guarantee its ease of use and usefulness for the proposed reason. Behind every one of these means are configuration, assembling and testing methodology. T&M advancements will develop likewise. There is need for implanted/versatile T&M arrangements, IoT test arrangements with far off investigating abilities and arrangements that can uphold the most recent interfaces and conventions. It is sure that chance to-advertise for new gadgets will proceed to fix, and keeping up high calibre will keep on driving extra multifaceted nature in these gadgets.

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In our industry where machines and equipment are continuously operational, it becomes equally important to ensure their health and proper working conditions.

Parag Yelegaonkar, General Manager – Govt. Business, Testo India Pvt. Ltd.

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Continuous innovations are being made to meet the measurement challenges in clean and renewable technologies.

Prabhakaran PV, Head – Product Management, Fluke India

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The quality Test and Measurement equipment plays a very important role in the life cycle of any electrical asset, be it a transformer or a cable or switchgear.

Imteyaz Siddiqui, Regional Area Manager – South Asia & GCC, ALTANOVA